Cigarette case



llllIlllllllllllllllllllllbllllllllll W. H. ST. THOMAS CIGARETTE CASE Filed Feb. 26, 1940 April 14, 1942.

Ii J WHSZTThomaa llllll lllll Ill Ill llll. l!ll Patented Apr. 14, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE CASE William H. St. Thomas, Gloversville, N. Y., as-

signorto E. J. Wilkins 00., Gloversville, N. Y., a corporation of New York 4 Application February 26, 19:10, Serial No. 320,947

'1 Claims.

will appear in the specification, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing,

wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation or edge view of a case embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; v 7

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the case showing the closure partly open to expose the ends of cigarettes within the package.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the cigarette case there shown is of the semipackage of cigarettes l without necessitating removal of the cigarettes therefrom to be inserted in the usual type of dispensing carton or holder. It is here shown as comprising a relatively rigid bottom wall ll having a dispensing opening [2 and flexible front and back walls l3 and I4, side walls l and I6 and a top wall 11.

The top and both side or edge walls are provided v with an ordinary slide fastener IB which is designed to open the case to permit the insertion of the cigarette package I0, the usual slide fastener element i9 being employed for opening and closing the case. In this instance, the opening on the sides l5 and 16 extends below the middle of the case.

While the case may be made in various ways,

it is here shown as having an inner leather lining providing inside front and rear walls 20 and.

2| connected by a bottom wall 22. The lining is preferably, though not necessarily, made of a single piece of leather bent U-shaped and it may flexible type and is designed tovrecelve a full block in the form of a single strip of leather having the fastener elements alreadyassembled in it. In this instance, sheet metal reinforcing plates 23 are secured to the inner face of this strip adjacent to the lower corners at the opposite ends of the bottom wall. They are conveniently held in place by any suitable adhesive and the lower ends of the fabric fastener tape 24 overlap them, it being understood that the tape is stitched near its lower ends to the side walls.

At the left hand side of the case, the strip forming the side walls is overlapped and stitched to.-

gether by a row of stitches 25. This is done before the strip is assembled on the block and the strip/is wider than the edge of the block, presenting thin edges 28 to be turned in and attached to the inside lining walls 2!! and 2!. Front and rear face panels 21- and 28 are then secured to the turned-in edges. These turnedin edges 26 are clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and the face panels are conveniently glued or otherwise adhesively secured to them.

Referring now to the bottom wall and the dispensing means, the bottom is shown as having an elongated slot 29, and a slidable closure 30 carrying a button it projecting through the slot 29 is mounted between the inside wall 22 and the bottom wall ll. Incidentally, this sliding closure may be assembled inside of the bottom wall II when the side wall strip is placed upon the block or form. It is rectangular and of the same width as the bottom wall and can be moved back and forth a sufficient distance to uncover and cover the dispensing opening l2. After the case is assembled in this manner, the opening I2 is cut in the bottom wall adjacent to the side edge or wall it and it is narrower than the width of the bottom wall. Thedispensing opening I2 is conveniently formed by cutting the leather on three sides of the opening. Both walls II and 22 are cut atthe same time. This completely severs the cut away portion of the inside wall or lining 22 since the cutextends to its left hand end, leaving a rectangular tab 32 hinged at the left hand lower endof the side wall IE or corner of the case. This tab is folded inwardly against the metal reinforcing plate '23 and is preferably adhesively secured to it, the upper edge being slipped under the projecting under-lapping lower end 33 of the strip which forms the side walls. This securely holds the reinforcing plate in place andmakes a better finish. The opposite edges relatively stiff closure member may be covered at least on its outside withleather which matches that of the bottom wall. However, the closure may be of any suitable relatively stiff material to reinforce and help to prevent the bottom wall from being crushed.

As has already been stated. the casewill hold a full package of cigarettes. The cigarette package is torn, as usual, at one top comer or the whole top may be torn off. Then, the package is inserted in the case while the case is held upside down and the slide fastener is closed. The

torn opening in the cigarette package will, of course, be matched with the dispensing opening in the case. The case may be carriedin a pocket without doing any damage because it has only one relatively stiff wall and does not present any sharp metal corners. when it is desired to remove a cigarette, the case is held-in upright position, asshown in Fig. 2, and the closure is operated by the finger button 3| to expose the lower end or -.ends of cigarettes in the package and one or more cigarettes will fall through the opening by gravity, ready to be grasped and removed. This can be done with one hand. The second cigarette which may have protruded through the opening may be pushed back into the package and the closure again closed by manipulating the button.

From the foregoing description, it will beseen that cases of this type may be made very attractive. They serve to protect the cigarettes as well as prevent loose tobacco in an open package from falling into the pocket. They also help to keep the cigarettes in an open package fresh by preventing exposure to the open air.

What is claimed is:

l. A cigarette dispensing case made of leather and shaped to receive and hold a package of cigarettes snugly therein, said casing having a continuous slide fastener opening in one end wall and having bent flanges at opposite edges ad-:

hesively secured to the inner faces of the adjacent portions of the front and rear walls; and a flat reinforcing member carried by the side wall adjacent to the dispensing opening and substantially the same width as the side wall.

2. A cigarette dispensing case made of leather and shaped to receive and hold a package of cigarettes comprising, in combination, an inner lining for the front, back and lower'walls; a single strip of leather forming the top, side and bottom end walls secured to said linin front and rear panels secured to said side and end walls; a slitted opening having a slidable fastener to permit insertion of a cigarette package in the case; a dispensing opening formed in the bottom wall at one side of the case; and a relatively stiff slidable closure housed in the bottom wall to open and close said' dispensing opening.

3. A cigarette dispensing case made of leather and shaped to receive and hold a package of cigarettes comprising, in combination, a U-shaped lining having front, rear and bottom wall portions; a strip of leather forming the top, side and 'to permit insertion of the cigarette package;

closure means for said opening; a cigarette dispensing opening cut in the bottom wall at one end thereof; a tab on one side wall formed by cutting said opening reversely bent against the inner face of the side wall; a slidable closure within the bottom wall for said dispensing opening; guiding channels formed on opposite sides of the dispensing opening for said slidable closure; and

. reinforcing plates on the inside of the side walls adjacent to said lower end wall.

4. A cigarette dispensing case made of leather or the like and shaped to receive and hold a package of cigarettes comprising, in combination, a U-shaped inside lining made of relatively stifl. material providing front,'rear and bottom inside wall portions; a strip of leather down through the center of which is attached a sliding fastener, said strip forming the top, side and bottom walls and secured at its opposite edges to the lining; front and rear panels secured to the lining; a cigarette dispensing opening cut in the bottom wall at one end thereof; reinforcing plates on the inside of the side walls adjacent to the bottom walls; a tab formed by cutting the dispensing opening being folded inwardly over one of the reinforcing plates; 'a slidable closure between the bottom walls; and a propelling button extending through a slot in the lower end wall attached to the slider.

5. A cigarette dispensing case made of leather or the like and shaped to receive and hold a package of cigarettes comprising, in combination, a U-shapedlining having front, rear and bottom wall portions; a strip of leather forming the top, side and bottom walls secured at its opposite edges to the edges of the lining; front and rear leather panels secured to the edges of the side and end walls; a slitted opening in the top portion of the case to permit insertion of the cigarette package; closure means for said opening; a cigarette dispensing opening in the bottom wall at one end thereof; a slidable closure within the bottom wall for said dispensing opening; and a relatively rigid reinforcing memberon the inside of the side wall adjacent to said opening.

6. A cigarette dispensing case made of leather and shaped to receive and hold a package of cigarettes snugly therein, said case having a continuous slide fastener opening in one end and in the adjacent portions of the side walls to permit insertion of a package of cigarettes, the other end of the case being provided with a double end wall having a dispensing opening located adjacent to one. side of the 'case,'a slidable closure plate of relatively stiff material confined in the case in face contact with the double end wall for controlling the dispensing opening, said closure plate having an operating element projecting through the end wall and accessible on the outside of the case, and a flat reenforcing memopening located adjacent to one side of the case.

a. slidable closure plate of relatively stiff material confined in the case for controlling the dispensing opening, said closure plate having an operating elementprojecting through the end wall and accessible on the outside of the case, guide means in operativeassociation with said closure WILLIAM H.- ST. THOMAS. 

